Bullish Q&A: Deal With Stress Aggressively

Bullish ways to deal with stress? Dealing with their root cause isn’t currently an option, so what can I do to prevent it from becoming overwhelming?

First, if “dealing with the root cause” of your stress “isn’t currently an option,” there has to be an END DATE on that shit. Like, “until I get enough money to move out of my parents’ house,” or “until I graduate.” You need an end date. There must be an end. Make a plan. Make a big, painful break and then recover and make a new and better life. You need an end date.

That said, I personally do not like enforced relaxation and artificial calm. When I am stressed out and have LIFE WORK TO DO, getting a massage is simply INFURIATING. Every soothing, healing touch makes me want to punch someone.

So, punch someone. With their consent. Like at boxing practice. Or just punch a punching bag. Start a fight club. Or just join a boxing gym. Or find some other form of exercise you can be really aggressive about. Maybe rugby. Don’t get cutesy about this. Not Pilates. All exercise is good for you and will help you manage stress, but I suggest, again, something with punching, and maybe something that seems out of character for you, and not something full of people worrying about being skinny or looking pretty, which just adds a new form of stress. I used to box, and real, serious boxing is pretty dumb in the sense that getting hit in the head is terrible for you, but you really don’t have to take it to that level. You can join a boxing gym (not some dumb-fuck boxing-themed cardio fitness class – a real, sweaty boxing gym!) and learn drills and spend a lot of time hitting the heavy bag, and only ever spar (if ever) wearing a lot of protective gear.

I know that’s a really specific suggestion.

But there’s a lot of evidence behind the “exercise” solution. The “punching things” part is from me.

I would also accept building large objects out of wood, provided that part of what you get to do is cut large pieces of wood with a saw.

And I truly don’t care if you are a 100 pound woman (or a 350 pound woman, for that matter). Boxing has weight classes. Power tools know no size.

You should go do something aggressive and physical that makes other people’s bullshit seem like not a real thing.